PARIS, Dec 16 (Reuters) - French reinsurer SCOR will replace its long-standing chief executive Denis Kessler with new CEO Benoît Ribadeau-Dumas, as it splits the role of chairman and CEO, the company said on Wednesday.

Kessler will hold on to the chairman's role. He joined SCOR as chairman and CEO back in November 2002, and led a defence of the company against a takeover bid from rival Covea in 2018.

The 48-year old Ribadeau-Dumas graduated from France's top-flight Ecole Polytechnique university and has worked at blue-chip companies such as Thales and Zodiac Aerospace.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)